The 280E AMG needed a new steering wheel, I wrestled with that for three days, using breaker bars and impacts but got absolutely nowhere. Frustrated, I took it to my mechanic who had it off in a few minutes with a breaker bar.

Now, I have a replacement AMG steering wheel for the r107 - can't break that one off either, dammit. Then, when done with that, I still have to take the wheel off the wagon so I can fix the loose turn stalk.

I'M SICK TO DEATH OF FIGHTING THAT STUPID NUT. Is there any way that can guarantee getting that little bastard nut loose? I'm tired of wasting my time and don't want to retreat back to the mechanic two more times.

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- Brian


1989 500SEL Euro
1966 250SE Cabriolet
1958 BMW Isetta 600

I went to the local hardware store and bought about a three foot length of pipe, slid it over the socket, had someone hold the wheel and broke it loose. Hope this helps.

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99 ML320
94 SL600
92 SL500
95 E320 Cabriolet
87 560SEC
86 300SDL Grease Car
80 380SLC Euro

13 Fiat Abarth
02 Maserati Spyder Cambiocorsa
00 BMW Z3
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99 Land Rover Discovery

Get/rent a good impact wrench, set the compressor pressure as high as the wrench can handle...that usually does it.

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Chris
2007 E550 4Matic - 61,000 Km - Iridium Silver, black leather, Sport package, Premium 2 package
2007 GL450 4Matic - 62,000 Km - Obsidian Black Metallic, black leather, all options
1998 E430 - sold
1989 300E - 333,000 Km - sold
1977 280E - sold
1971 250 - retired

"And a frign hat. They gave me a hat at the annual benefits meeting. I said. how does this benefit me. I dont have anything from the company.. So they gave me a hat." - TheDon

Pure muscle is the only way.

The impact wrench isn't very effective when the object the fastener is attached to can move. In this case, the steering shaft isn't firmly fixed, and when the wrench "impacts", the shaft jumps a bit, taking most of the power out of the impact.

I had the same issue when I needed to replace the turn signal switch on my '92 300SE. It has some sort of socket-headed bolt (torx or hex, I don't remember). I tried and tried and tried and almost ruined the bolt.

Took it to Silvio's - the fellow that does all the wrenching I can't do. Ralf, the 6-6'' shop foreman got the right socket and a 2+ foot long breaker bar and muscled it right off.

I could have done it myself as it turns out. I was scared I was going to damage the steering lock so I never tried very hard. He said they're practically impossible to damage.

Having said this, if you snap your steering lock - don't come looking for me.

I'll bet all you need is a long wrench, good angle on the fastener and a fair amount of upper body strength. You can substitute longer wrench for lesser strength. Get the arm of the wrench as close to the rim of the wheel as you can - short extension and/or deep well socket to limit the length of the extension. Grab the wrench at the pivot point with one hand, and at the end of the wrench with the other and PULLLLLL! (Or Puuuushhhh, depending on where the handle is...)

I'd spray a good quality lube on there to loosen that puppy up!

Aerokroil is by far the best i've come across and does work wonders.

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1999 C280

Make sure you have a breaker bar and not a ratchet. Slide a pipe (extension) over the breaker bar if necessary. If that does not work ask your girl friend for help.

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Earl



1993 190E 2.3
2000 Toyota 4x4 Tundra

Sounds like I'm going to use a butane torch to heat up the Loc-Tite, then I'll go for the pipe over the breaker bar and socket. No girlfriend, but I can tell you my wife will not be assisting.

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- Brian


1989 500SEL Euro
1966 250SE Cabriolet
1958 BMW Isetta 600

I use a large 1/2" drive breaker bar with the steering wheel locked.

I sometimes have to stand outside the drivers door to break them loose.

Just a little advice, and I've seen new techs do this at the dealer.

Do not push up on the breaker bar with the travel of the bar going toward the windshield when the bolt does break loose otherwise you will be replacing a windshield too.

My experience with impact wrenches is completely opposite this.

While the part can move, the impact puts enough force to apply enough to the threads to break the fastener loose.

I never hold wheels when using an impact driver on them. I've never had to apply the brake or otherwise stop the wheel from turning. The same is true of a FWD hub nut that I broke free last weekend; nothing was holding the hub from turning. The transmission was in neutral and the brake was not engaged, but the nut came right off. That nut is on with a whole lot more torque than your steering wheel.

..........so, he used the steering lock to provide countertorque..........I'm not confident that he's correct regarding "no damage".

It helps to get another guy to hold the steering wheel to keep the pressure off the steering lock.
Usually it is not tight enough that the force of someone holding the wheel with counter pressure is futile unless whoever put it on tightened it up way too tight.

I wasn't going to use the steering lock as a tool.

__________________
- Brian


1989 500SEL Euro
1966 250SE Cabriolet
1958 BMW Isetta 600

Agreed - but there's a very big difference between the mass of a wheel/tire/hub assembly and the steering wheel/steering shaft. As for the FWD hub nut - you've got the hub, the shaft and all the gearing attached to the spindle - lots of rotational mass.

There has to be sufficient mass to oppose the force of the impact.

On my 300SE (140 chassis), there are 5 factors contributing to removal difficulty
1) Bolt cross section is probably 12mm - it's huge
2) Bolt is fine threaded - more threads - more friction
3) Bolt is allen-headed/flat head and has a tapered shoulder with a wide bearing surface which mates to a similarly tapered area on the steering wheel. Lots of contact area - lots of friction.
4) A ton of blue lock-tite on the threads.
5) From rim edge to top of fastener is 6+ inches - the longer the extension, the more difficult it is to effectively transfer the torque of the wrench to the bolt.

Looking at the math of it all - if I'm right in my dimensions and calculations, the bolt head is about 1.125" in diameter. If the diameter of the threads is .5, that leaves 5/16" (.3125) of shoulder (per side). Now, taper the shoulder at a 45 degree angle and 5/16" grows to .44194. Take that dimension and multiply it by the circumference of a 1.125 diameter (3.53") and you get 1.5600 square inches of contact. (I don't think this is completely accurate because the area decreases as you move from the rim of the bolt head to the edge of the threads - but it serves well enough to illustrate my point.)

Apply the same math to a hex nut of similar dimensions (1.125 diameter with a 1/2" bore) and you get 5/16" shoulder X 3.53 circumference = 1.103 square inches of contact - maximum, because there's actually less contact due to the hexagonal shape "cutting" into the diameter.

Which is why I added my disclaimer. This is a reputable shop - in business for 10+ years. They work on MB and BMW, but mostly MB. They've yet to offer advise or provide service that I didn't find completely accurate/worthy.

I shouldn't have been so absolute in my original post. In my experience, muscle was the solution to the problem.

I would NEVER recommend using an impact wrench on an allen-headed screw. For a given size, allen head screws have far less fastner/tool contact surface than a similar-sized hex-headed bolt. I came way too close to stripping the socket out on my steering wheel when I attempted to use an impact wrench.

Maybe the major reason why the fasteners are typically so tight is that they're the only thing that holds the steering wheel onto the shaft. On many of the American-made cars I've worked on, there's a hex-nut on the end of the shaft, and usually some sort of c-clip in front of that as a belt & suspenders prevention. The nut comes off easily, but then you must use a puller to get the steering wheel free from the shaft. In my 92' W140, and also on a number of other german autos I've wrenched on over the years, you remove the bolt/nut and the steering wheel comes off easily in your hands.

Again - the solution to the original poster's problem is getting full transfer of the torque from the wrench to the fastener. It would be helpful to get an assistant to hold the wheel, and don't yank - just provide constantly increasing torque until the fastener releases.

Agreed.

In reality, there is no force that opposes the momentary impact from the wrench because the steering system has rotational play............and never comes up against anything close to a hard stop.

I'd be surprised if an impact wrench would be successful.

I wouldn't be surprised if the internal hex would be stripped from the attempted use of the impact, however.

Get a piece of 2x4 that will fit under the wheel and connect with a spoke. I covered mine on both sides with scrap carpet. I UNLOCKED the wheel and turned it so that the spoke was on the 2x4. Then I used my 1/2 socket with a breaker bar with a piece of pipe on it to unbolt the wheel. I was able to put a lot of pressure onthe nut with the wheel being held securely in place. I reversed the wood when I tightened the nut later on.

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"I have no convictions ... I blow with the wind, and the prevailing wind happens to be from Vichy"

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